Health & Fitness – Get Your Leg Up to Speed

As with other sports, there is muscle imbalances created in cycling. If left uncorrected, they can lead to injuries such as pain in front of the knee. What you need to do is to strengthen the three muscles that affect the pedaling action – the vastus medialis oblique (VMO). vastus lateralis (VL), and gluteals maximus (GM). The VMO and VL are two of the four quad muscles that stabilize your knee during knee flexion, while the GM is the butt muscle.

During the power phase of a cycling action, the quads and butt muscles drive the pedal. But the VMO is usually underdeveloped in cycling, which over time, can lead to muscle imbalances.

Here are recommended to get your legs up to speed:

1. Lunge.
   1. Start by lunging forward with one leg. Land on the heel, then forefoot.
   2. Lower your body by flexing the knee and hip of the front leg until knee of the rear leg almost touches the floor.
   3. Return to the starting position by extending the hip and knee of the forward leg. Repeat by alternating with the opposite leg. Do 12 repetitions for one to three sets per leg.
2. Single Leg Half Squat.
   1. Lift one foot off the floor, and maintain your balance. Bend the other leg’s knee until the thigh is parallel to the floor. Make sure your knee does not extend past your toes.
   2. Extend the knee until your leg is straight. Repeat 12 repetitions for one to three sets.
   3. Take it up a notch. Hold a dumbbell in each hand to increase the exercise intensity. Aim to do 12 (RM) repetition maximum, meaning using a load that you can only lift for 12 repetitions.
3. Step Up.
   1. Place one foot on the bench. Stand up on the bench by bringing the other foot up. Focus on extending the hip and knee of the first leg as you climb up.
   2. Step down with the second leg first by flexing the hip and knee of the first leg. Repeat with the opposite leg. Do 12 repetitions for one to three sets per leg.